Gilbert Melendez: “Next Time I Fight Him, I’ll Do a Lot of Things Differently”

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Gilbert Melendez: “Next Time I Fight Him, I’ll Do a Lot of Things Differently”

“He’s just a super athlete, and I expected that. He had some great kicks, but I also expected that. And I expected him to bounce in and land some punches and I did my best to counter the punches and block the kicks and I never felt like I was in any danger. I never felt any anxiety or that he was running away with the fight or he was putting it on me,” Melendez told MMAWeekly content partner Knockout Radio.

“I learned a lot from the experience. I learned that next time I fight him, I’d do a lot of things differently in there.”

“I don’t want to give up my game plan, but I’ve gained confidence in the wrestling and grappling department,” he said. “I didn’t think I shot too much. I didn’t want to engage him on the ground. I felt like he might have an advantage there but I think I know now that I feel a little more confident in those positions.”

The 31-year-old will have a different game plan if they rematch at some point in the future.

“In the clinch, I felt really strong there, attempted to re-clinch him,” said Melendez. “And I don’t want to get too in depth because I might fight the guy again, but I know exactly what I would do and how I would finish him. Not finish him, but to get my hands on him and fight him a little bit better. But at the time, I had my game plan, I stuck to it, and I thought it was enough.”

Yes both sides will come in a little different and with more experience too. Gil put up a better fight than I thought he would, or Bendo gave less than I expected. Either way a rematch will be great down the road that is!

melendez had a great strategy not sure what he would do so much differently. the reason he lost was because henderson was kicking the shit out of his little chicken legs so he didn't have it during the championship rounds.

Gilbert gave as good as he received but the decision seems to always favor Benson when the opponent makes no attempt to finish the fight. Niether Frankie nor Gilbert left a lasting empression in the judges eyes that they had Benson in serious danger. I want BJ Penn versus Benson Henderson but I'll settle for that guy that beat up young chuck norris.

Too many decisions, especially in the lightweight division, have this stigma of "you have to beat the champion." What the hell is this nonsense? That's not a rule. The rules are the 10-points must system. You award each round to one guy according to blah blah blah...it's ridiculous. I remember when Ben Fowkles was talking about what the actual rules are and that if a fight is fought on the feet for 2 minutes and 31 seconds standing and guy A wins, then guy B takes guy A down for the REMAINING 2 minutes and 30 seconds, guy A won; the majority of the round was kept standing. However, everyone here can come up with at least a 100 (hopefully) examples of rounds where that would not be the case. In fact, very few times that has happened and it's mind boggling to me how that happens. One guy lights the other on the feet, the beat up dude shoots in, gets in and spends a minute on top and wins the round...that's not the rules, dammit!